2014 Volkswagen Golf GTE: Trying to Be Cool

A plug-in GTI. Welcome to the future.

It’s not unfair to say that, hybrid hypercars aside, hybrids aren’t associated with being cool. Ever since the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight were introduced to global audiences at the turn of the century, hybrids have symbolized responsibility, exemplary citizenship, and a modicum of self-righteousness. So when introducing a plug-in hybrid version of the Golf, Volkswagen needed to brush aside those connotations associated with hybrids and remind shoppers that the heart of this hatchback is still the same fun Golf we’ve fallen in love with. How’d those in Wolfsburg do that? They called it the GTE.

The GTE moniker, of course, is supposed to draw a connection to the über-cool GTI and GTD models, which rank among the most fun-to-drive hatches ever built. Can the GTE live up to such expectations? In terms of sheer power, it can. The combination of a 148-hp, 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and a 101-hp electric motor yields total system power of 201 horsepower and maximum torque of 258 lb-ft. That's 9 horses fewer than the GTI boasts, but 17 horses stronger than the GTD’s compression-ignition lump. The GTE exactly matches the GTI's torque and comes in 22 lb-ft weaker than the twist generated in the GTD’s turbo-diesel.

Despite those numbers being very similar to the GTE’s sister models, the plug-in Golf disappoints in straight-line performance. Volkswagen claims a 0-to-62-mph-sprint time of 7.6 seconds and a top speed of 135 mph. Both numbers fall well short of the GTI and the GTD.

But then, the GTE offers other qualities. It can run for 31 miles on electric power alone, its total range is 584 miles, and fuel economy is rated at 157 mpg in the largely meaningless European measurement cycle. Real-life fuel consumption can vary wildly, depending on the level of charge of the distance traveled between charges. Rather than getting hung up on such an absurd fuel-efficiency number—more than we already have, anyway—let's just say that the GTE is efficient, at least when driven around town. For owners who have little desire to refuel with gasoline, Volkswagen says that recharging from a standard wall outlet takes three and a half hours.

Ultimately, though, the GTE appears to be less of a driver’s car than its siblings. First of all, the six-speed dual-clutch automatic is the sole transmission choice; there is no manual option. And then there’s the hefty weight penalty of 265 pounds for the battery pack alone, never mind the electric motor and electronic components required to harmonize the system’s operation. The regenerative brakes capture energy under braking, but we suspect they will lack the precise feel of the GTI and GTD's anchors.

Whether European shoppers—Volkswagen of America has no plans to bring the GTE stateside for the time being—are willing to make such sacrifices remains to be seen. The car’s auto-show debut in Geneva next month should prove to be a good barometer.

On paper, the GTE can’t hold a candle to the performance standard set by the GTI or even the more economical GTD. But even a warm hatch represents a massive improvement over the majority of mass-market plug-in hybrids.